Carbon County commissioners on Thursday awarded a nearly $400,000 contract to repair a crumbling, stacked stone and concrete retaining wall threatening a Lansford home.

The commissioner awarded the Community Development Block Grant contract to Stoney Lonesome Excavating of Summit Hill, which bid $384,000 to reconstruct Brimble Wall and Brimble Alley.

Stoney Lonesome was the low bidder on the project. The other bidder was Kobalt Construction Inc. of Tobyhanna, which bid $577,790.

The county had to reject a lone bid of $398,105 on the project last year, because Lansford didn’t have the money to cover the cost. The borough receives between $74,000 and $78,000 a year in CDBG funds.

The borough since secured a Multimodal Transportation grant for $313,000 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority to add to its CDBG funds to move the project forward.

The retaining wall supports Brimble Alley, which is between West Ridge Street and Snyder Avenue, and is used by emergency vehicles to access homes on Snyder Avenue.

Pieces of the retaining wall have been crumbling into a yard at 362 Snyder Ave., which is within 2 feet of the deteriorating wall.

Other CDBG projects

The commissioners also awarded a $72,250 contract for water/sewer improvements along Cherry Avenue in Avenue in Jim Thorpe.

Barker & Barker Paving and Excavating of Bethlehem was the low bidder. Other bids ranged from $88,850 to $98,496.

The commissioner also ratified a modification for $164,296 in Jim Thorpe’s CDBG funds, moving them from housing rehabilitation projects to water treatment plant equipment upgrades under phase 1. The change is for 2022 and 2023 CDBG funding.

A change order was also approved to a contract with Recon Construction Services Inc. of York, for Mahoning Township street improvement, Center Road from Maple Drive to Willard Drive.

The change decreases the contract by $3,831 for a new contract price of $106,498.